February 23, 2026 - West Clermont Schools - Board of Education Meeting

001Uh, good evening. Welcome to the February 23rd, 2026 West Claremont School Board meeting. Mr. Romano, please take role. >> Mr. Patton, >> present. >> Mr. Chumley, >> present. >> Miss Samborn, >> present. >> Mr. Spencer, >> present. >> Mr. Rudy >> present. >> All present. Thank you. Uh please join me in the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Next up is the motion to adopt the agenda. Would someone like to make a motion? >> I have uh something I'd like to add to the agenda. >> Okay. >> I would like to make a motion that the Westmont Local School District do a request for proposal

002for a new law firm to represent the school district. And I am asking for a second to this motion. >> Okay. Does she have a second? >> I'll second it for her. >> Okay. Thank you. Is there any discussion? >> I have a discussion. What is the reason or what's the purpose or the thought process on this? uh the cost involved. Our financial future is is you know has concerns and I'm concerned about our fees that we're paying to our current law firm. >> Okay. So do you think that there's going to be additional fees with the another attorney that we were to go with or is there anything that you're displeased with the current attorney that we have? >> I just feel that it's time for us to look at other options versus what

003we have now. >> Okay. Anybody else have any other discussion? >> No. I I just think competition is a good idea, a good thing. So, it wouldn't hurt to review other ones. >> So, my other concern or question is is that I believe in January, our one of our meetings in January, we voted to renew that contract with him. And so, we're under current contract with him. So, I'm not sure what that would do uh and what that could potentially cost the district to get out of that contract without just calls. And so, I'm just not sure what the Just Calls is that would perhaps get us to be able to move out of that contract. Well, I would like to see what the other law firms uh >> Well, it's my understand it's my

004understanding you've done some research on that on your own. You've taken that upon your own to do some research. Is that correct? Yeah, I did because I I'm I want to look at other options and other opportunities for us to have someone else give us a different ideas, different cost, different whatever community involvement or whatever that they can provide for us. As my understanding, and this is unfortunately an interesting time that we picked this with the students that we have here watching us, but it's my understanding as a board member, we aren't board members until the five of us are sitting here individually, us to reach out to subcontractors or contractors steps out of our bounds and out of our wheelhouse. Our authority is to direct and to guide the treasur and superintendent to go

005through and do any type of contract or to do any type of negotiation. And it's just interesting that you've taken this upon yourself to go out and solicit from somebody as an individual. You aren't a board member as an individual. You are an individual until the five of us are sitting here. So I just find that interesting that you've taken that upon yourself to do that without any guidance from the board >> because I feel it's it's necessary that we that we get our financial situation um in you know in a better shape and I feel that we need to do [clears throat] whatever we can to look at our finances every aspect of our finances we have to look at and so I I just feel that it's okay to do this I I

006have had a small conversation with Dr. Folultz about this already and um he is a he is aware of this >> and and that's perfectly fine but Dr. Folultz doesn't take meeting orders from one individual. He takes it from the board. So we as the board have to make that decision and then we give him his marching orders which direction to travel. So it sounds like you've done a lot of backdoor deals and backdoor conversations without >> I didn't do any backdoor deals. >> Well, you've had backdoor conversations that the board was not aware of. So, none of us was aware that that you were taking it upon yourself. I found out inadvertently that you were doing that, that you were reaching out to other attorneys and other law firms to get bids and solicit

007bids. That's not your role. Your role is is to is for us as a board to make a decision and then take that and give that to Dr. Folder Dan to then go out and get the bids and to get those things. You've done that yourself and that's not your role. Mhm. >> So, you know, that's the part that's very interesting. And again, I don't know what kind of the contract. I don't know if we have any just reason to get rid of our attorney. And and the fact of the matter is is that you sit here and say that we need to look at every cost. I assure you that I have sleepless nights worrying about the future of West Claremont. I think we all have sleepless nights. I don't want to speak for

008everybody. I'll speak for myself. I have sleepless nights on what our district is. I've lived it. I've lived the no busing. I've lived the the the specials being cut. It is not a good time to be in, but it's no fault of our own. So, we're all looking at different reasons and different ways that we can save the district money and keep our district moving in the forward in the direction that we're going and not going backwards. So, I I I just I find that interesting that you're wanting to seek the attorney. But again, at this point, the motion has been put on the on the the floor. So I guess we will take a a vote at it as >> So just a point of clarity, the the motion is to amend the agenda

009to add an action item to look at um and sending out a request for proposal for qualifications for legal services. >> Correct. >> Okay. So the action item or the motion isn't acting on that item is to amend the agenda to >> put that on. Okay. >> Okay. Correct. >> So, we're making a motion to add that to the agenda. Okay. >> One of the other things I'm going to say is is that moving forward, this is not the first time that you've taken it upon yourself to go outside of this board and to do things on your own. You've done that multiple times. You've done that with the Union Township administrator. You've done that with our superintendent uh directions. That needs to stop. If you're going to do something, the board has to make

010a to have a deciding factor in that as well. You as Tina Sanborn cannot go among yourself and start soliciting all of these things. It doesn't work that way. We have a handbook which I'm going to read from that you guys wanted. It's important to read by this. This is our binding guidelines. This is what we do and you've stepped out of bounds on this. >> Mr. Romano, what are we doing now at this point? We're so there was a motion to amend the consent agenda to add an action item regarding uh requesting proposals for legal services. So we're we're the vote is on the motion is on and it was seconded to vote on whether or not to amend the agenda to add that action item. Okay, we're not acting on the action item

011>> on the action, just adding it to the agenda, >> the consent agenda. Okay. >> Is everybody clear on that? >> Mhm. >> Roll call, please. >> Okay. >> Miss Sanborn? >> Yes. >> Mr. Rudy? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Spencer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Patton? >> No. >> Mr. Chumley? >> No. >> Three? Yes. Two? No. So the consent agenda is amended at some point to add an action item requesting the solicitation for proposals for legal services. Okay. So my my advice would be that we add that action item at the end of the consent agenda >> at the consent agenda. >> I don't want to put that with the consent agenda because I don't want to ruin the consent agenda. That would be the consent agenda. >> A separate item. Okay. >> Separate item.

012you're doing it after. >> And on a side note, guys, I truly apologize for this. This was not how I intended the the board meeting to go. I I do apologize to the parents, to the students that are here today. I didn't mean to take from your guys's This is really what we're here for is to celebrate your guys' success and what you guys do for our district. So, for that, I do apologize. Um there's just a few things, business orders that we did need to address. Uh and so, again, I I I truly from my bottom of my heart, I apologize. But on that same note, it's good to see uh some action within >> roles like this. >> This is actually how it works >> because this stuff happens doesn't happen very often,

013but it does happen. So, it's good to see why. [clears throat] >> Okay. >> So, now we're on to recognition. >> Okay. And with that being said, we are we are making two swaps. We're going to do the student voice. We're going to let the student voice audition. >> We're going to do the student voice first and this and the recognition second. So, we are going to make those two swaps um just to help move things along and stuff. So, I would >> So, so I would say we we amended the agenda. I would go through and do 3.01 motion to adopt the agenda as amended. >> Okay. So, you're going to do that? Do that now first. 3.01 >> addit. Oh. Say, say what now, Mr. Roman. >> Item 3.01. It's motion to adopt

014the agenda. >> Correct. And we just made that >> agenda was amended. So now adopt the amended agenda. >> The amended agenda. >> Okay. >> Sorry, guys. Apologies. >> So you need a motion to adopt the agenda as amended. >> Someone would like to make a motion. >> A motion. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Rudy. Any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Mr. Spencer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Rudy, >> yes. >> Mr. Chumley, >> yes. >> Mr. Patton, >> yes. >> Miss Sambort, >> yes. >> Five. Yes. To adopt the amended agenda. Okay. >> Okay. Are we back on track now? >> Yes. Sorry. Thank you. >> No, you're you're good again, guys. I apologize. >> We're going to swap the two. [clears throat] >> So, it's now

015Well, good evening, Mr. Romano, Dr. Fultz, and the board. It is my honor tonight to present our student council. These young leaders consistently, they're demonstrating responsibility, service, and they are committed to making Willville a place where everyone wants to be. They're very excited tonight to show their work, their accomplishments, and some goals that they've set for our school. and I am extremely proud [clears throat] of all of them for stepping into a leadership position at our school and everything that they've accomplished so far. And I am looking forward to what they have left to do this school year. Um, and I do want to thank Mrs. Arnold and Mrs. Balmus for their time and their commitment because they play a vital role in these students and their um, responsibility and their confidence as leaders. So,

016I would like for all of you just to stand for a second so you can be recognized. [clears throat] [applause] Those of you guys that are talking through the slides, head on up. >> You're going to go first. So, Do you think you can speak to that? >> Yeah, Mer, you may want to take the microphone out a little bit. >> Well, I told you we're probably going to have to take it off, but I wanted to make sure. Here you go. >> And so, we'll need the next slide. There we go. >> Mission statement. Our missions as the student council is to be leaders in our school, respect students, plan service projects that support our community and make our school a better place for everyone. Our compliment our accomplishments are we read to guests

017at the Santa breakfast. We presented ideas at the PTO meeting. We created posters of encouragement for the third grade OST test testing. We met and greeted veterans. We welcome parents at the kindergarten Christmas program. We also sent staff shoutouts and bus driver recognitions. Our community service um we have done the Thanksgiving food drive to support the imperishment ministry. We have also done the mitten/hatry to support St. Vincent Depal. And we've also done the Super Bowl food drive to support the IMP and WV blessing books. Here are some action steps for the survey results. Reintroduce the ambassador program and anti-bullying presentation. Implement more surveys to give students more voice. help students with academic during morning time based on teacher recommendations through a Google form. Some ongoing projects that we have done are the building buddies participating

018in daily morning announcements using speaker and leadership skills to promote school events to home rooms surveys to students to give them a voice. help the PBIS events and ambassador program to welcome new students. >> Our future projects um volunteering at the carnival to support our PTO, a prep rally before the start of state testing and a memorial dog parade and kindergarten and fifth grade graduation. Our future goals are is to be is to better connect student council with leader and me by giving students more opportunities to practice leadership, teamwork, and service. [applause] that came today. We appreciate you being here. We would love for you to shake our board. We have a small gift for coming out. Great job. Stand up. Well done. >> Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. >> They

019did a great job. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Thank you. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. There you go. I I'd just like to add too um I know that I love seeing our kids here and I love that they're taking on leadership roles and that's a big part of what we try to teach them is how to be learners and how to be leaders and that feeds into what we've been working on with leader and me. But I also need want to say thank you to the parents who also put in the time and effort to to grow them this way and to bring them share them with us and to be here tonight. So I just want to say parents, thank you as well. [applause] [applause] >> Cookie party. Thank you all for coming. >> Thank you guys

020again. [applause] >> Thank you. >> There's your old suit. >> Yeah. >> She was a troublemaker. She got a long way. But I love [laughter] >> smart and wonderful mother. He's a great father. Oh, good. Well, that's fun to see the circle >> as they exit. If you are here for stay in the game, you can come join me. So, our staff here is pulsing. That one is my >> Oh, I know you. >> She's my cosmus. >> Oh, >> she's my daughter's neighbor. >> Oh, >> well, I worked with her, too. For years, >> Karen, >> you need to we need to talk because I >> I will understand. We got to get this meeting. Okay. >> Call [clears throat] me later. Not now is not the time to have this conversation. Thank you.

021>> I will. together. Okay. >> All right. More exciting um celebrations tonight. Always always the best part of the of the night. So, President Patton, members of the board, thank you for allowing us to share. We're going to sandwich students and then staff and then we're going to go back to students. So, uh, stay in the game. Attendance incentive. Student success starts with school attendance. Students who are absent from school miss important learning opportunities which can be difficult or even possible to make up. The mission of stay in the game attendance network is to prioritize attendance by connecting its users to resources aimed at tackling chronic absent absenteeism. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Harvard, a program from Harvard University called Proving Ground, and local partners including FC Cincinnati are deeply committed to this

022mission. West Claremont has made good attendance a focus and a priority. FC Cincinnati has recognized the following staff for their efforts and exemplifying consistent practices that have shown tremendous progress and success in student attendance. These members here tonight are from each of our schools and a part of the attendance action teams. and we would like to read their names and then each of you will receive your certificate along with a little blurb of the nomination that you got for your work at your school. So that's on your piece. So Carolyn Holland from Amelia, Nancy Edmonson, Kimberly Jeder, Sarah Maddenley, and Beth White from Cluff Pike, Lacy Young from Holly Hill, Lorie McMillan from Merwin, Sydney Hardy, Trey Moore, Erica Johns and Kelly Batty from Somersside, Jessica Bode and Amy Clermyer, Clyer from Willowville, Jennifer Bottoms

023from WT, Eileen Gorman from West Claremont Middle School, and Steven Brady from West Claremont High School. So congratulations for that work. It's critically important for our students to show up every day. [applause] Thank you so much. Thank you. >> How are you? >> Good. Thanks. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. No, it's cold in here. >> Thank you. >> Stop paying attention. >> I just >> There's one. >> One more. Oh, yes. Sorry. All right, one more group. So, those young Willowville uh students turn into these amazing uh theater cast and crew. So, um you see the whole progression. So, this is um a West Claremont High School Thespian Conference recognition. West Claremont High School is part of the International Thespian

024Society. In April, the Ohio Thespian Festival, will host more than500 thespians from across Ohio. This year, with us is the cast and crew of Girls in the Boat, which was this year's fall uh fall play, and they have been selected to perform as one of the conference's main stage performance under the direction of Miss Nicole Line. So, [applause] cheers to you. >> This is an incredible honor and we are excited to be recognizing West Claremont's amazing theater program. The casting crew are on board for the experiments. Congratulations on this honor and certainly future stars in the making. Tonight, we also want to honor the following three students who received superior ratings for their um at for the recent competition. With this rating, they have the opportunity to go to the International Thespian Festival in June

025at Indiana University. So, congratulations to Abigail Cooper, grade 10, with her superior rating in acting. [applause] Stella Harvey, grade 12, for her superior rating in acting. [applause] And London Bowling, grade 11, for her superior rating in sound design. CONGRATULATIONS. [applause] And we have your certificates here. So, uh we are going to give Miss Line is going to take the whole casting crew. So, we will give that to you. And then we have London. We have uh Abigail and we have Stella. Okay. Thank you. And you're going to follow through there. Thank you. >> Sure. We'll get a picture. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. >> Congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Such a dramatic exit. Sorry, [laughter] had to say it. >> Meeting's over. >> Yes. Next up is get back on

026track here. >> Next up is public speaking. It looks like we have no cards. Moving on to the consent agenda. I believe that will be Josh. So don't sit. >> Let me pause you real quick for clarifications. Where are we putting this? That's after the consent agenda. We'll vote on separately for the next. >> All right. I think that was your question. >> Okay. Yep. Thank you. >> Good evening. In front of you is the personnel agenda for Monday, February 23rd. As always, I want to make sure I highlight our retirees on this agenda. We have Jennifer Hickeyi who is currently serving as a fifth grade teacher at Willowville Elementary. Jennifer has served the West Claremont district for 31 years. Also, I'd like to recognize Roger Thornberg who has served the district for 31 years

027and who is currently the district operations and projects supervisor. Do you have any questions regarding the personnel agenda at this time? Uh could you wish the retirees uh good luck and and big thanks from us? >> Absolutely. >> I know both of them. They're both very hardworking. >> It's going to be a lot. >> 31 years is a long time awesome. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. We are um the next one is a resolution authorizing membership to the [clears throat] Ohio Athletic Association. I want to give a shout out to Angie. We normally put this on to get done in February and we are scrambling in July to get it done. So we are way ahead of the game for the resolution and again this is to be a part of OSSAA for next

028year. Um we do have to pass a resolution as for the board. So that's what that is about. The next 7.03 authorization for the solicit solicitation of the bids for Holly Hill Elementary window replacements. We've been talking about Holly Hill windows for a long time. So we are going to be getting bids for that. We will be asking for the total project and then it also could be broken down into parts if we wanted to do it um highest needs first. If you go back to the the facilities assessment, highest needs first as far as windows go and we could stretch that over um a couple different building projects as far as the summer goes. So, we will uh >> How many windows are you looking at on Holly Hills? >> What we got? What's

029the total? >> Uh 44. >> 44. >> Is that all of them? all. >> Okay. Okay. That's all. >> So, we could do the project all 44 all at once or we could do 22 and 22 >> or could be eight, could be 12, it could be as however we break them down. I know we got some high high knees ones, the ones we had pictures of if you remember last year. We know that we have those anywhere from 8 to 12 and then we could break it down um as they get into that as well as we look at the assessment. But it all comes down to the dollars and how much we have to spend. um in the summer and Dan's asked us to get the full bid and then we can look

030at it from there. Oh, 7.04. We have another vending machine that went down. So, we'll be disposing [laughter] another vending machine. We actually could not find parts for this vending machine. So, this is additional one that we had last month um for the disposal of one of our vending machines. >> There was an additional item that was added at the last minute, too, which is a dishwasher. >> A dishwasher. >> Yeah. Was added. >> Yeah. and Holly Hill dishwasher. >> And Holly Hill dishwasher. >> That's what it is. >> I think that's it. It's all I have. >> Good evening. I have two overnight field trips for you. First is 7:05. And actually, it's very timely that we had our that we were recognizing our high school thespian club. Uh because this first overnight field

031trip is um for for those students to attend the Ohio Thespian Festival um of which you heard that they have an opportunity to perform um at the main stage. So this field trip is April 10th through 12th um at Chilikothy High School. Um so that is my first request. And then agenda item 7.06, 06. This is um something that we have the good fortune to bring to you each year. It um is seeking permission for our HOSA student leadership um students to attend the state leadership conference. Um this field trip or this trip takes place April 15th through 17th um at the Glass City Center in Toledo, Ohio. Are there any questions about either of those? Great. Thank you so much. >> Item 7.07 is request for approval of the minutes of the meeting that

032was held on January 28th, 2026. That was a regular business meeting. Item 7.08 is request for approval of the donations as presented. There are two listed. Snapdragon Books donated 30 books to Amelia Elementary Library and there was an anonymous donation of $100 to Holly Hill Elementary for kindergarten supplies. Um item number 7.09. It's a resolution amending or supplementing and or supplementing the FY26 annual appropriations. um as amended there uh the amendment is not to the general fund that stays the same but there are several uh local funds and some state and federal programs where we did receive some additional funding andor there was a reclassification of funds so those are listed in that resolution item 710 is request for approval of purpose and budget statements for this current fiscal year uh the one request is

033for the high school wolves wolves theater um as revised and requested. Item 7.11, accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission. Like to make a note on this. Uh again, we filed our tax budget. Uh the board approved that in January. It was filed with the county auditor. The next step following the filing of that tax budget is the county auditor then presents this resolution to us filling in the amounts and the rates um as determined following that tax budget approval. Dr. Folz and myself did attend the budget commission meeting um in early February. Um it was the first time quite frankly I attended a tax budget commission meeting. Um and so we were proud to do that meeting the members of that commission. So again item 7.11 is accepting amounts and

034rates as determined by the budget commission. Item 7.12 is the financial statements bill paid and listed improvements. So the motion is uh to approve those um as presented. Those are for the uh reports and statements as of uh January 2026. So the consent agenda includes items 7.10 through 7.12. >> Thank you. You heard the recommendation. Would someone like to make a motion? >> Some move. >> Thank you, Mr. Rudy. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss Sanborn. Is there any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Rudy, >> yes. >> Miss Samborn, >> yes. >> Mr. Chumley, >> yes. >> Mr. Patton, >> yes. >> Mrs. Spencer, >> yes. >> Five, yes. >> [cough] [clears throat] >> Okay. Um, and so if you want to add, there was an amendment to the

035agenda to add and I will read what I have and uh always open to staying corrected on what the amendment is. Okay. So, or the resolution is um unless you want to recite the resolution or do you want >> I can I can do it. >> Yeah, I have it. Okay. Thank you. I would like to make a motion that the West Claremont Local School District do a request for proposal for a new law firm to represent the school district. And I am asking for a second to this motion >> and she put that on the form as a motion. >> Okay. >> It was moved by Miss Ambort. So, she made the motion. Now, we need a second. Correct. Because now, now we're voting on whether we're voting on that action item. >> Correct.

036>> So, now that action item, we're deciding if we're moving forward or not with that action item. So, is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Rudy. Now, we'll go back to the discussion piece. Correct. >> Correct. >> So, again, I mean, I kind of spoke my piece at the beginning, but I guess my question is is what prompted this? Where did this come from? I know that you're saying that we're wanting to spend we're wanting to save how much money we spend, which is what we've tked the whole administration to do. So, how much money are we spending on the legal fees? And what do you think we're saving? >> Um, in the in the previous administration over the last seven years, we spent $ 1.55 million dollar on legal fees. And

037I just think that's a significant amount of money that we have spent. So you you keep saying you think and I understand that you think that we spend that much but again what is the justification? So is this because that because the previous administration is doing tea and crumpets with the attorney and it's billable minutes or is this because this is legitimate business that we're doing with our attorney? >> I have no idea what it was what it was what who who did what. I don't know who was all involved. I know that some of the cabinet team members call the attorney for certain issues and certain concerns and I understand that but I think that it's that is a significant amount of money that was spent and I'm very concerned about that. >> Again,

038I think I think it would be fair to say that we're all concerned with that every every dollar that we spend at West Claremont. We want to make sure that our money is being put to good things that we're spending it in good purposes. But again, I guess I go back to what is the bigger picture that he kept us out of legal troubles. So what is it that that we saved us versus some type of a payout that we had to pay if we violated somebody's IEPs or somebody's, you know, staffing rights or something? How much money did he save the district by by over by seeing those? >> I don't know. I I don't have any of that information. We're never we're not giving that information as a as a >> you most

039certainly are. >> I mean, I don't know how much each I know how much each individual payout is, but I don't have a total of each indo individual payout. >> I was going to say you most certainly are given that stuff. We're given all of that information by the by the treasurer. Mhm. >> So, and I guess my next question is because we've already established that you've taken it upon yourself as Tina Sanborn, not as a board member, but as Tina Sanborn to reach out to two different legal fees, a two two different uh law firms. So, what are they promising you or what are they telling you that the cost is going to be? >> They're not promising me anything. They said we would I would we would have to do a request for

040a proposal and figure out what the cost would be and and they would get with the current administration and they would submit bids to the current administrators. Do can I ask a question? How long have we had the firm that we have right now, Dan? Do we know how long we've had the firm that we have right now? >> I don't know the duration of it, but it's been since I've been here. So, at least five and a half. >> Five and a half or six. >> It's been a lot longer than longer than that. >> It's been longer than that. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. >> It was before I retired or retired in 13. >> The first time you retired? >> Yeah, [laughter] it was well before then. And and I guess out

041of curiosity since we're discussing this, here's the piece of it. Out of those two law firms, how did you come up with those two that you came up with? >> Because I Googled them and find to find out who represents school districts and those are the two that are in the greater Cincinnati area. And that's how I came up with. >> So what other school districts do those two attorneys that they use? What what other school districts do they uh work for? >> They work for uh New Richmond, Milford, Bethl, Williamsburg. the one law firm does. The other one works for only one law firm and I don't remember off the top of my head which I'm sorry which school district it was. >> I I think sometimes we got to look at how much

042money he saves us by not getting us into keeping us out of the legal piece of it. And so um does anybody else have any other discussion or anything on this? So what we're do what what we would be doing is is that this is the proper way to doing it is that you wouldn't be reaching out to anyone and again I have tons of documents where you've done this on multiple occasions and I think today's why it's frustrating is because you've done that with the superintendent research you had me calling different people because Tina Sandboard called someone that needs to stop Tina >> reached out to me and said >> no ma'am no I had a text I had the documentations where you've had me call these people and it's you reaching out to

043them. >> Okay. >> It's it's you reaching out to Union Township administrator telling them that me and Miss Spencer misunderstood Tiffs and had wanted him to call and he watched YouTube. Those things didn't happen. That part needs to stop. The board is who makes the decision, not Tina Sandborn. And so what needs to happen is is that what you did today is the way that the proper the proper procedure should have been from the get-go. you made a motion. He for whatever reason second it and then now we're here having a discussion piece of it which is how it is to go. Then depending on how the voting goes if it passes and then the majority speaks then then it goes to those two then to go out and they will call the attorneys. Maybe

044not the two that you said for them to call but they will reach out to the attorney that will best suit our needs as a district because those two may not suit our needs. Again, we are one of the biggest districts in this in this county and so our needs could be a little bit a little bit different and they could be a little bit more costly and so we got to make sure that we have someone that understands our district. >> So again, I I just this is the proper procedure, not you doing things on your own is Tina Sandborn. That's so that is the piece that I want to say on that. I'm I'm said my piece. I do have one more thing to mention about I because this is my second third

045going on my second and a half year anyway but um the lawyers that we were under did not find that when the um administration was negotiating the contract that they were also negotiating it was kind of a a conflict of interest because they were also getting the raises that they were negotiating. Is that not correct? And then we had to change your contract because the lawyer said, "No, you can't do that anymore." >> The provision in your contract or my contract is what they're talking about. Right. >> Right. And the but the lawyers we you guys were doing that for quite some time. Is that correct? >> It that provision was in my contract from the beginning. Correct. >> Okay. >> That had been longstanding. >> It's been in the contract also. >> Right. So,

046but the lawyer that was but it was a conflict of interest, isn't it? Wasn't it right? reason why that came up as >> that came up. So, we had to change your contract or open it for that specific reason that the lawyers didn't catch that for particular thing. Right. >> It was it I'm not disputing that. What I'm saying all I know it was in the contract. Whether or not it was brought to the prior board, I don't know. >> Okay. Okay. But that Okay. That's all I'm saying. >> WCA asked for that provision >> to I don't know what word appease numbers that the administrators weren't going to make a whole lot more money >> right >> more >> but it but it ended up being a conflict of interest right because they were

047negotiating and then they were also going to get whatever they right the percentage or whatever >> but that was really correct as a a conflict of interest >> I I I would think that there was a time where um and again I'm I'm trying to use my memory as well for the 14 years of being here. Um that I believe there was a time where the teachers got minimal to zero raise and the administrators got a raise and that caused a lot of a rift between >> the the association and the administration. So the the the conversation at that point said basically it if it's me too if you get this we get this so that that that one is not getting more than the other. Um it recently and that has been practiced for

048a long period of time recently you know and Dan kind of brought it to the attention of everybody is is >> yeah it is you you >> because you're you're at the negotiations table >> right >> you shouldn't be doing that and so that's why it came we pulled it out of our contract. Yeah. And I So, and um just as I'm thinking the whole thing through too, again, I think there's a distinction to you have to be careful of saying something was a conflict versus a perceived conflict. Okay. I think those were the wordings that were used. So, >> okay. >> I was just checking. >> Yeah. We felt that it was not we felt that it was not right for us to to get what the administrators got, what the teachers got because

049of we were the ones talking to the board. The board gives the contract. the board gives that we're we're we go we're liaison of the board to work with the association. So we felt it was a conflict for us to to be objective while we were trying to to leazison. >> Absolutely. >> And so that that led to us changing that. >> Right. >> But but it all went through the lawyers. >> It had to come from them. Right. >> It had to come from them. I think we we brought it to them. Had that conversation with them. >> Did it not go through the law? >> I know originally I had a conversation a while back. [laughter] Okay. And it was exactly as Mr. Rudy had mentioned it. It had been a long-standing provision

050in the contract. >> Okay. Okay. I >> I think what >> I had thought Okay. >> I think what that does to one of the one of the the concerns about pulling that out if I was WC you have a member of WCA I would say oh wow so you can give me zero but you can give your admin raises >> because that's that's a perceived if if it's not connected then you know then that's a possibility. So that made it more clear and now we've made it more murky. But >> just because it's a little bit >> I just assume that the lawyer would have picked that up and said, "Oh no, you can't do that because that's a conf it doesn't however it's worded. I'm not saying it correctly, but I would assume

051that >> we come back to a perceived perceived conflict of interest versus a legal conflict of interest. It may not have been illegal, but it was a perceived >> That's all I'm saying. >> So but to make sure I'm understanding, so he it wasn't like it went to the attorney and he missed something, right? Is that what we're saying? like it it was it was brought to the attention that it could have been a perceived conflict, >> right? >> I don't know. >> I mean, I guess that's what is that that's what you're saying is is you feel like the attorney missed something. >> Yes. I would have assumed the lawyers would have looked at it or I would assume that they are at the negotiating table and everything has to go through them legally

052that that would have been picked up somewhere along the line. That's all I'm saying. >> Well, at the end of the day, they're negotiating with the board of education, not with the administrators. the administrators are there as an arm to help do that. We saw that as a perceived conflict of interest. >> Okay. >> Um but it it may not be a legal conflict of interest, but because of their actually negotiation with the administrators, their negotiation with the board. >> I gota Okay, I just throw that out. >> Yeah. It's a good question. Is there any other discussion? >> Okay. So, no other discussion. Call >> Miss Sanborn. >> Yes. Mr. Rudy, >> yes. >> Mr. Chumley, >> no. >> Mr. Patton, >> no. >> Mrs. Spencer, >> yes. >> Three, yes. Two, no. Motion

053passes. >> Next on the superintendent business 8.01. 1. That's our CAC. So, in front of you is the uh we we had our first uhformational meeting for the CAC um back in January. We just we we established the CAC to look at our financial uh the current financial forecast and how that impacts West Claremont. Um part of the bylaws is I have to bring the non um non-staff CAC members forward for board approval. There's a you have a list attached there and I would recommend that you approve the list as presented. >> Thank you. You've heard the recommendation. Would someone like to make a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you, Mr. Chumley. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss Samborn. Is there any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Mr. Chumley, >>

054yes. >> Miss Samborn, >> yes. >> Mrs. Spencer, >> yes. >> Mr. Patton, I'm sorry. >> Yes. >> Miss San, did you say yes? >> Yes, I did. Okay. Sorry. >> And Mrs. Spencer? >> Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Patton. >> Yes. >> Mr. Rudy. >> Yes. >> Five. Yes. Okay. Oh, my sorry. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Um, a couple comments. First, I want to talk about the the success that our sports teams have had of this last season. Um, boys bowling were ECC champs. The girls bowling was ECC champs. >> Wow. >> Girls basketball was ECC champs. Bryce Cousins was the ECC diving champ. And our competitive cheer team played second in the ECC. Um Bryce Collins and Ole Bryant are both state qualifiers. So they're going to go to the state for

055diving. The boys bowling is also the sectional champs and that's the first time that's happened ever. And the girls bowling uh placed third in sectionals which heads them to the district. So, we're very excited about our current uh teams out there doing great things and supporting West Claremont and representing West Claremont. Well, second thing on my agenda is uh the LoveWC week. This is day one of LoveWC. So, this is where every year in February we we pick a week and we make it love WC week and it's [clears throat] about celebrating across the district of being W Claremont strong and helping uh our community commit to our students and that every student to learn, lead and succeed. Had we had school today, [laughter] it would have been wear pink, red or school spirit. Uh

056Tuesday is college and career inspired clothes. Wednesday is pajamas or comfortable clothing that is school appropriate. Thursday is match with a friend class or team. And Friday is dress for success. So you're dress up spiffy. Um we we are taking donations. when we were working with the the food pantries. Um they said the biggest things that they they need that they they struggle with right now is peanut butter and jelly. >> So we're taking donations of peanut butter and jelly at the schools. So if you want to donate those, that would be great. Uh as well and I know there are um I do not have that list with me, but there are certain restaurants that you go to this week and if you say you're from West Claremont, they proceeds comes back. I think

057today was Canes >> Canes and >> today was Canes and Chick-fil-A, I believe. Um, I also want to point out that tomorrow is kindergarten information night. We originally had that at the beginning of February and lo and behold, it was a snow day. So, [laughter] we moved it to tomorrow. It's at the high school. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. So, if you're if you have a child that will be entering kindergarten in August, please come out and hear about uh how the districts will help meet your child's meet your needs and help also meet your child's principal. Um, today on the on our website was posted the West Claremont Connect us winter quarterly newsletter. It's on our website now. It kind of gives updates of all the happenings in the district since we posted the

058quality profile. So, hop on our website and check that out. That's it for me. >> My kids loved day one of [laughter] >> day one of lovec was stay home. Stay home. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Um there are four action items. Uh the first three uh and we do this annually um in February. Um it's a provision of code that changed several years ago where the board of education has to take an active role um in board of revision complaints that are filed. Um prior to this these three resolutions uh on the complaint the property owners were notified. uh the letter was sent out to them notifying of of this board meeting that uh the complaints were going to be or the resolutions for the complaints were going to be acted

059upon. Um the first item and I I'm going I would ask that we vote on these separately each one separately. Um there are three of them so not 11 like we had I think last year or the prior year. So um and I will I will read it for the record just the title of it not the whole resolution. um and then uh request that um the board act upon them. So the first request is resolution 9.0 or item 9.01 resolution authorizing the filing of an original board of revision complaint as authorized by Ohio Revised Code 5715.19 with the Claremont County Board of Revision asking that the true value of the property located at 435 4342 Glenn Estee Wamsville Road be increased to the July 2024 sale price of $2,800,000. >> Thank you. You've heard

060the recommendation. Would someone like to make a motion? >> Some moved. >> Thank you, Mr. Rudy. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Whoever you missed. [clears throat] >> Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Rudy? >> Yes. >> Mr. Spencer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Chumley? >> Yes. >> Mr. Patton? >> Yes. >> Miss Sambort? >> Yes. >> Five. Yes. Item 9.02. It's a resolution authorizing the filing of an original board of revision complaint is authorized by the Ohio Revised Code 5715.19 with the Claremont County Board of Revision asking that the true value of the property located at 776 Old State Route 74 be increased to the April 2024 sale price of $4,680,000. >> Thank you. You've heard the recommendation. Would someone like to make a motion? >> Some moved. >> Thank you, Mr.

061Rudy. Is there a second? >> Second, >> Spencer. Thank you. Is there any discussion? >> Where is that property? >> Um, I don't know the exact location. >> Old 74. >> Is that a the strip mall up there? Maybe. >> Well, it could. There's a lot of stuff on Old 74. I was just curious. >> It might be worth the >> Thank you. Mr. Young said it's a retirement home. >> Oh, >> yeah. Yeah. Oh, east skate care or whatever it's called. >> We're just Okay. >> Is that where the family phone center was? [laughter] >> Oh, okay. I know. >> Yeah. >> Does somebody have a Google map, please? [laughter] Google map because this popping up. >> Thank you. Get this on the big screen. It is really >> the one point is we

062do not file these unless they're considerable amount under the other the appraised value. Okay. Or the sales value. Call the roll. >> Yeah, I more. >> I believe so. Yes. >> All right. Mr. Rudy? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Spencer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Chumley? >> Yes. >> Mr. Patton? >> Yes. >> Miss Samborg? >> Yes. >> Five? Yes. And final on this this item for discussion is 9.03. Resolution authorizing the filing of an original border of revision complaint as authorized by Ohio Ohio Revised Code 5715.19 with Claremont County Board of Revision asking that the true value of the property located at 512 State Route 125 be increased to the October 2024 sale price of $2,50,000. >> Thank you. You've heard the recommendation. Would someone like to make a motion? >> Some moved. >> Thank you,

063Mr. Rudy. Is there a second? >> Second. Thank you, Miss Spencer. Any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Mr. Rudy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Spencer, >> yes. >> Mr. Chumley, >> yes. >> Mr. Patton, >> yes. >> Miss Sambore, >> yes. >> Five, yes. Thank you. Um, item 9.04 is the financial forecast that is required to be filed twice a year. If you recall, [clears throat] there was legislation that changed the dates um from the previous fiscal year. The previous dates were um the original filing or the um first forecast um in October um and the second one uh to be done in May. Those were changed. I'm sorry, it was November and then May. those were changed so that the uh first forecast is filed in August with a follow-up forecast um in February. We

064did do one last October because the legislation was passed the August date and so the first one for FY26 was was in um October and the uh February one is being filed now. We have to submit that to the state department of education um no later than February 28th. um that filing also then gets available to the um auditor of state through that filing. Prior to um that action item though, what I'd like to do is a presentation um [clears throat] on the five-year forecast. And okay, and I'm not going to do you've seen me do a presentation before where I have numerous slides that take this matrix of numbers of looking at our actual um revenue and expenses for the past three years. It looks at our current expenses for the current fiscal year.

065Um the old five-year forecast went out four plus years. Legislation changed that. So it is the current year now plus three years that have to be submitted. We do um and even in review in the policy meeting today, we we still will do a five-year because we think that's the prudent way to go out, but we'll only submit as required by law past three years, the current plus three years into the future. Um what I would like to do though is um rather than getting into all the detail because the detail is in the agenda, we also post the five-year forecast that is made up of the forecast itself. The notes that accompany that forecast that provide a pretty thorough explanation of why the line items are what they are and then there is a

066presentation for that. That's typically the presentation that's attached and that is going to go through. But what I think was more important is bridging the October forecast through what this February forecast is because the the the balances changed significantly and I think it's our responsibility not only to inform the board but visa v this meeting to inform you know the the stakeholders in this community of what's changed and why that is changing as we go forward to it. Um, so the objective of this presentation is really to highlight the five year to highlight, excuse me, I can't say five year anymore. To highlight the o the February 2026 forecast and then create that bridge from October to where this forecast is being submitted. Um, I think I already went through that one, but if you

067look at the document itself that is online. Okay. Um I think one footnote I do want to say is we did have a finance committee meeting last Wednesday. Um and the there's the standing agenda items that we go through but we probably spent most of that meeting talking about the forecast and what caused the difference between October through today. Just a highlight on that forecast again first three columns are the actuals for 23 24 and 25. the current year. Um, part of what legislation wanted to have happen is that the current year appropriations or the current year expenses align with the board adopted appropriations or budget. In past years, we are this district always did that. Okay? We didn't have a different set of numbers. We typically put in the budget or the appropriations. And

068for the most part, the revenue estimate um equal the certificate that we had on file with the county auditor's office with maybe some minor uh variations if that. But but those two um always did in this district have that law pretty much short up and said that we should be submitting that with that. The next three years are projections which should reflect what our budget is expected to be really based off a continuation of program. We go through it. So again in this in this document is not just the numbers but the footnotes and then the presentation. Okay. So what was in the October forecast? So let's let's just start with that. Okay. It did contain those current appropriations for 26 and then it did have some revenue assumptions consistent with what was known at

069that time. Okay, back in and and actually the October forecast was adopted in September. Okay, it was adopted at the same time the appropriation measure was adopted. We had the board has to adopt its full annual appropriations by September 30th. So in September we did that and we also uh did the forecast those documents were aligned. Okay. On the revenue assumptions, we used at that time the current state funding calculation. State uses the fair fair school funding formula. That fair school funding formula for the most part does not provide any additional revenue to this school district and has not for some time. We have basically flat revenue coming from the state. We are under a status that is called a guarantee. or a guarantee district, meaning that uh we shouldn't leave we shouldn't receive dollars

070less than we did and it goes back I I think everybody says 2021 but in 2021 we didn't receive any more than we did in 2019 and you can keep going peeling that back farther and farther. Okay. Um the other local revenue estimates are really looking at major categories of um our TIFF revenue, our investments, our earnings on investments, um other miscellaneous revenue, some tuition that we get through the state, items like that. For the most part, there's no significant gains on those. If we look at earnings on investments, we do know and everybody knows that the interest rates are are going down. they kind of peaked a little bit over 5% and and are sliding down. So some of that revenue um is somewhat less. The property tax calculation in October, okay, for that

071October filing was based on an auditor's estimate, county auditor's estimate. They provide that annually to us. And at that time what was known of the changes in either past legislation or proposed legislation pending the fact that some of that could be reversed by the end of the calendar year. Okay. With that okay our cash balances then through 2030 on that September forecast. And the reason I go to 2030 to me it's it's really important that is right now we we passed the emergency levy in 2020 and the the law says I can't say renewal anymore but but the to replace the proceeds of that levy. It would be projected that we would put another continuing levy on the ballot in 2030. So it's I think it's important that we we go and the five years

072goes at least through 2030 with that. Okay. as we do that. Okay. So, what did that October forecast do? Um, and I kind of highlighted in yellow two line items. This is not the whole forecast. This is is just a the summary of it um of revenues and expenses. It projected two things. A it projected that we would start um the uh deficit spending which is the revenues are exceeded by our expenses. Okay. that that would start this current fiscal year. And that where since the 2020 um levy passage and the 2020 and 2023 reappraisals, we were our revenue was greater than our expenses. That's typical in the state of Ohio. So that you you pass a levy for new funding or if you're at the 20 mil floor like we were a minimum of

073collecting 2% from from uh property owners. Revenue revenue outpaces expenses for a period of time until inflation kind of catches up with those expenses or other factors catch up and then we start spending more than we receive. That is a typical rise and fall of funding in the state of Ohio. Okay. So, what started to happen or what's projected to happen this year is our cash balance would start to be reduced as we go forward looking at the revenue projections and looking at you know continuation of program with those inflationary expenses on it. the 2030 deficit, cash deficit, um was in excess of $27 million. Okay, note that we always knew that we would need additional funding when the levy passed in 2020, right? We had projected the district had projected at that time and

074and made a commitment in fact that they would not come back to the voters prior to 2024. Okay. Our effort was um at that time and you got to go back and just recall a little bit. I don't mean for this to be a history lesson, [laughter] but in 2020 when that levy passed, we were in the midst of COVID, right? It just really kind of in that first year of that. Also, 2020 was a reappraisal year. Two sources of funding came out of 2020. Federal relief money because of COVID, the reappraisal money because of valuation increases. valuation, the revenue increase from the valuation from the reappraisal was a consistent pattern in this school district. I came in 2020. One of the things I try not to do is you you kind of go back

075and learn from history, but but you don't really um stay on it too long because you want to look at where you are and where you need to be and where you're going into the future. because of what's going on in this legislation. I went back and looked the survival of this district financially is because we were on the 20 mil floor back in 1970. I hope I get the years right. Back in 1976 before most of you were probably born. Okay. The the general assembly was >> I was three. >> You were three. Okay. Thank you. I really appreciate knowing that. Okay. Um laws were passed. House Bill 920 was passed that said, "Hey, we can't." And because there was a lot of growth in property revenue, right, property taxes, they came back and

076said, "Hey, we can't have this. We're going to put some limitations on it. We're going to put an equalization formula on it. So, if your property values go up, the rates that were passed would go down, kind of yielding a similar dollar amount." Okay. The very next year, the general assembly put a safety net on that provision. The safety net was the 20 mil floor. The safety net was put in place. So districts like West Claremont, okay, that struggled with some of those things would be um taxing or assessing at least 2%. 20 mills really equals 2% on property values. Okay, that was a safety net to do it. Okay, that safety net um in the and in the future that safety net really drove the ability for this school district to have additional revenue.

077Okay, that was the financial survival of this school district. If you go back and look at the numbers and what had happened, okay, they they did not pass a lot of levies, okay, the additional revenue came from that to do that with it. Um, so that's October [snorts] of 2025. The forecast that I'm providing that we're going to act on in a little bit and and presenting is a forecast that now includes the legislative changes and I'll go through those briefly in a minute. Okay, I'm not going to take a minute. It'll be longer than a minute, but in a minute I'll go through those. Okay. It changes our cash balance in 2030 from that $27 million to over $41 million. Okay. To do that. All right. Why did that happen? Okay. A the 20

078mil floor was eliminated. So provisions going forward any additional gain in revenue was backed off. two, there was a provision in that legislation that said, "Hey, we're not only going to limit what you're going to get in the future growth, okay, we're going to go back to that 23 reappraisal and we're going to give property owners a refund or a tax credit, okay, of the valuation growth." In this in this school district, it was about 39 to 40%. We're going to take away anything above an inflationary, they call it a deflationary rate. Okay? Anything above that, that's estimated if you go back and look at the increases of 20 to 21, 21 to 22, 22 to 23 because that's what they were looking at. Okay, that percent is about that cumulative percent is about 11%.

079So 40 minus 11 there going to be a tax credit of about 29%. Okay. Given back for 23 assess collected in 24 tax year 24 collected paid to the school district in 25 that will be deducted uh from our revenue in order to give it back to property owners in the community. one part of that bill back in October that that there was uncertainty on but if you let read the legislation you could have believed that we were supposed to get two years of make whole so that if it was given back to the taxpayers the state was going to make up for that our understanding now is it is not two years but it is only one year okay 23 tax year collected in 24 okay to do that that's a significant dollar amount

080that is being backed off our CL our our revenue for um starting in August of 206 this this coming August. Okay. to do that. The other change that occurred in in our revenue forecast is the tax bills for the 25 tax years collected in 26 were sent out and there was also a letter or information sent out to those property owners informing them requesting them to not pay their whole bill but just only pay what they responsible for is that the first six months. Okay, that letter was so that in August when the tax credit is given to them, they didn't have to write them a check back. Okay, it would just be deducted from that second half bill. Okay, so the adjustment that was made in our current fiscal year. Okay, uh we usually

081receive about 52 to 53% of the total taxes for the year between January and June. I requested the county auditor to give us an estimate that came back at 48%. Across those five years, okay, is it any less money? No, it's less money in 26 that we will receive in fiscal year 27. Okay, but that adjustment was made. So if you look at why is our cash balance less than 26, that's the main driver of that difference. Okay. But the main driver of going from 27 to 41, okay, are the changes in legislation. As the finance committee knows and and reviewed with with board members, the original projection was 53 deficit of 53.9 million. The second adjustment that we made to the forecast was was looking out forward and saying, "Okay, if our enrollment has

082kind of flattened, we don't know exactly when it's going to increase. We do know it will increase, but if it's kind of flattened and we know we have to make adjustments because of this result, then we did reduce out of the forecast additional staff that we had placed in there. that comes out of um the salaries and it comes out of the benefits. A dollar of salary also impacts a dollar or an amount of um retirement and benefits that would get reduced too. Okay, with that so that adjustment that adjustment um was made as we went forward to do that. Okay. So if you look at what was the differences in the cash balances between October and this February forecast, we're 3.2 million less in this current year. 3.4 million less in the fiscal year

08327. Fiscal year 28, we are this is the amount less. Okay. 8.1 million. we go down to um we lose $11 million in cash balance and 29 difference between the 27 and the 40.6 13.2 million. Okay, so those are those are the differences and they're really driven by the changes in legislation offset a little bit by some reduction expenses that we knew were going to happen that we put in there. Okay. to do that. Okay, I'm going to pause and say that that again the typical presentation would go through the revenues more detail, the expenses in more detail, but but from October through February, not much changed except for those things that I just mentioned, the revenues because of the new legislation, the expenses because of our response to that and response to um a

084little bit different the the enrollment growth that we expected did not occur. We do know what's coming. We don't know exactly when um to do that. Okay. So So those were there. What's the legislation that did that? Okay. And I I I it's important to go through this because that's a big number. That's a big change. Okay. House Bill 186, which was passed, limited the amount of funds schools collect from property taxes and provides a credit for previous taxes paid. So, when that legislation was passed, it didn't say, "We're going to go forward and back off some money." It basically says, "Hey, we're going to take back from the school district money that was already given to you by your local taxpayers. We're going to peel that back, give it back to the taxpayers." They

085did two years of that as they went forward. They also went back and said, "Geez, why were certain school districts getting raises of of property tax revenue?" and the community didn't pass levies or whatever. Well, it was because of the safety net that they put in place, okay, to do that. They didn't take the 20 mil floor away. What they did is changed how that is calculated and looked at, okay, they put limits on revenue growth. That was 186. But then they came back and said, "Hey, your 20 mil floor in the past, it didn't include the second safety nets, a second set of safety nets." If you go back, again, not a history lesson, but if you go back, emergency levies were put in place. Emergency levies were put in place for school districts

086that had difficult times passing a continuing levy. Okay, attacks forever. Said, "Hey, maybe the community needs to see how things are. Let's just make these emergency levies because the district's in a dire situation and you can only do those for five or 10 years." Go to the voters and put that in place. Safety net number two. Safety net number two is gone. Okay. From now on, in essence, they're continuing levies. You put the levy on the ballot. I guess you could do it for a limited period of time, 10 years or so, but it is a continuing um levy that will be on the ballot. Okay. So, they they changed the 20 mil floor. The emergency levies now that were outside the 20 mills are now included in the 20 mil calculation. So as of

087this tax year, okay, actually 25 collected in 26, we're off the floor. The growth that we used to get in the past because of the reappraisal, the growth in revenue, we will not get anymore. Okay? And in fact, there's limitations to it. All right? So safety net one's gone away. Safety net two that kind of helped out is going to be going away too as we go forward. They took money away, restricted the growth and what we would get in the future. Okay. There's restrictions on inside millillage. Inside millillage is in our permanent improvement fund. Um they did do that prospectively. In other words, going forward. So the permanent improvement fund pays for the debt of the high school. So when that high school was built, the property owners paid for that high school through

088inside millillage, which which they always paid for. It was just dedicating that inside millillage to the debt. Okay. I I know I've been told by I don't know how many people when I came here that that the community thought or people in the community thought that that high school was built free. It wasn't. It was built where there was quote unquote maybe publicized as no new taxes, but it is tax dollars that the that property owners were paying and it was specifically then the the what it was dedicated to was just to pay off that debt. Okay, with that the growth that the inside mill used to get is not going to occur anymore either. Okay, that's been limited to the same deflationary rate or rate of inflation. And you can assume over time it's

089about 3%. Okay, so that's what it's going to get. Two other bills really impacted and I it's you know I'm not this is not I'm not criticizing. Okay, because I think on one hand legislators were looking at how can we take care of of of a a tax that taxpayers paid that that was at that time deemed excessive. Okay, because of the 20 mil floor. How can we take care of that? But they did add two other provisions. the House Bill 96 and 309 came back and said, "Hey, there's two other oversight entities that we're going to place on to the board of education, right? The board of ed education makes decisions on budgets. They make decisions on on revenue that we get. And now the county commissioners can do a what's called a piggyback

090tax credit. and they can by June 30th of each year they can come and sit and say hey we want to give the taxpayers another credit which would be equal to in essence the homestead roll back credit okay they do that that would not just be for school districts but it would also be for the villages townships county itself um and other entities that collect property tax that's not built into the forecast but that's a vulnerability that we face that another entity can make a decision House Bill 309 uh allows the county budget commission. Again, I said that Dr. Folz and I attended that meeting. So, when when the districts and all districts submit a tax budget, that county budget commission reviews it. If they deem that that our budget request, which the board of

091education approves, right? We had the board of education approved that tax budget um in Jan January, then we submitted it. If they deem that, hey, that that request is too high, we think your budget's too high or you have an excess of cash, you know, in the bank, they have the authority to reduce our rates and to reduce um the collection of those property taxes. Okay. So, two risks, uncertainties, vulnerabilities up the road are from House Bill 96 and House Bill 309. Okay. Two other bills um that that affect us. One is House Bill 28. I I did mention that, but we can't do replacement property levies. So, for example, in 2030, we can't say that's a replacement emergency levy. It's got to be a continuing levy. House Bill 124 um really shifts um you

092know, there's no right now no direct impact, but when the reappraisals come up every three years. In the past, the final say was with the state department of taxation. So the county auditors would um submit what they believe the values of properties would be to the state department of taxation. The state department taxation reviewed the data and could tell go back to them and say we think your property values are too low. You need to increase them to X. Okay. House Bill 124 kind of reverses that. flips that side and says, "Hey, the county auditors have the say, the department of taxation can can request, you know, and can say, hey, we think you need to look at that, but the county auditor has the final say in what it is." That may I who

093knows what that what will happen after that. You know, part of that with the Department of Taxation was add consistency across the state. So, I don't I don't know how that will turn out, but again, it's it's just changing the rules of the game that could impact us [snorts] as we go forward to do that. Okay. Just kind of a verification, we know that that there was a lot of studies out there, different groups looked at the impact. One study out there listed um West Claremont schools as the second highest school district impacted. So the impact here from House Bill 186 was 29 over $29 million. Pretty consistent and comparable to what we had estimated through another other calculations to do that. The list here is Claremont County. of all the school districts, everybody is

094impacted except two. Those two districts were not at the 20 mil floor. Every other district there was at the 20 mil floor. So again, Claremont County, which which a lot of districts were protected with the safety net that's been pulled away to do that. So we're not alone and we're not alone in the state. Over 200 school districts were at the floor. So that's going away. So, you know, that's that's into the weeds on the House bill, right? Here's the here the the first three bullet points here is something that the superintendent, myself have been saying for quite a while. What did that legislation do? It took money away from us that was already given to us. Okay? Taxpayers paid it for the last two years. Okay? It took money away from us. It reduced

095and limited the growth that we're going to get into the future. Okay? Okay. So, as that 20 mil floor goes away and as the provision is you can't collect more, the property uh taxes can't go up more in certain in in in these uh levies can't go up more than the rate of inflation. Okay? Good, bad or different, those were [snorts] th that was the rules of the game and they changed. Okay? So, we can't can't get that growth anymore. The third thing it did is it it put some roadblocks or obstacles in front of us and our ability to put levies on the it doesn't say you can't put a levy on the ballot but what we can put on the ballot gets restricted. It the changes dramatically from what we were able to

096do in the past. There's a fourth thing that that I get concerned about. I don't know how well known is out there, but the our our state funding is on that guarantee. Like I said before, within that state funding calculation, the state calculates a dollar amount per pupil that that we should get from both state and local sources. The dollar amount that it subtracts from that that per pupil amount is based off of property valuations. So rather than looking at what those what those bills did in property valuations and reducing them in the state funding formula, they kept the higher amounts in there. So it's almost fictitious to say or to think that, hey, your valuations are X. They're being reduced. You can't get that much revenue off of them. But in the state funding

097formula, we're still going to keep that higher amount of local property. Okay? which means our our funding from the state is less. It increases this guarantee. Our guarantee is going to be getting higher and higher and higher where the ability to collect the revenue is not as higher. It gets lower. Okay, that's probably a weak explanation. I probably confused everybody after saying all that. >> [laughter] >> The bottom line is even if our enrollment grows, which is which is an indication that we should get more state funding because of that provision that that that we look like our values are higher, we still will not get more money. Okay? We will still be under a guarantee. So what happens is we don't get any more money from the state. This legislation basically limits any growth

098we get um just to the rate of inflation. Okay. So the revenue side is highly limited on growth. First couple years here money is being peeled back. Okay. Our projections in the future are being peeled back. The result is our cash deficit. the the the negative number that we look at up the road increases significantly as we do that. Okay, there's several other uncertainties but but I think I I gave you the major ones to do that. So where do we go from here? Okay, because of the forecast like that. Okay, there's only two sides of our ledger. How much money we get called revenue. How much money we spent spend called expenses. Those are the only two areas that those are the two areas that we can impact. When you look at a deficit

099of that size, it's not just looking at one side of that ledger. It's not just looking at revenues. It's not just looking at expenses, okay? We got to look at both of them. So, we have to we we have no choice, okay? because of this legislation and because of the impact on our forecast. We have no choice but to look at our expenses and start peeling some things back. What amount? Not sure. We have no choice but to look at additional revenue. Again, that additional revenue was was always going to be something that we needed to have done. It's just bringing it more forward. We took a lot of efforts because we because we got additional money. We were able to extend that request right from from our community. We were ex able to extend

100it out from 24 to 25 from 25 to 26. We thought we could go into 27. Okay. In October, that's what we really believe. Okay. That has to come back. If if we bypass a request in 26 and it doesn't happen to 27, we lose one year of revenue. Okay? If the issue passes or doesn't pass. Okay? So we would lose that we have to look at both sides to to solve our financial problem with that. >> Okay. >> To do that last slide. Sorry. >> Excessive expens. >> Our story is coming from 2020 to where we are today is is really a great story. Okay. Um, you know, it's not a joke when I say it's one of survival that we've survived financially and we've thrived performance-wise. We are and still are. We have

101been and still are one of the lowest spending per pupil districts in this state. Okay. It was able to be raised a little bit because uh they added some of the u um relief money into into that calculation because we had the increase from the um being at the 20 mil floor because of valuation increases. Okay, our dollar per pupil increased a little bit but we were still in the bottom quarter the bottom 20% of the state. Okay, that's very low. Our performance on the other hand went up dramatically. I can't state that performance as well as the superintendent can or Mrs. Preston can, but when you look at our graduation rate being the highest that it's ever been, that correct that it's ever been. When you look at the momentum award that I see

102the principles out here that they work very hard for in their districts to to achieve I describe you know I describe the um um that that per the momentum award as this people's expectations of our performance growth is X and we achieved X plus we achieved better than what people projected if we were required to [clears throat] give a year's worth of of of learning to a student they gained more than that. Okay, what they're doing that has a high impact on our performance. If you look at the chart that's in the middle with the kind of bullseye there, it's a quadrant of where do we spend um as compared to the average of the of of the state. We are to the left of that which means we spend less. Where are we at

103performance-wise um through the state? If the horizontal line is the average performance, we're above it. In order to return it to have a positive return on taxpayers investments, that's the quadrant. That's the square you want to be in the top left. Spend lower than the average. Perform higher than the average. That's where you want to be and need to be the spending less than the average. and and and I don't want to sound like a broken record saying this, but when I came to this district in 2020, there was this cry that of how efficient we were. When you peeled back and looked at things, were we really efficient or were we lean and we were just providing less to our students than we really should have been? Maybe not only to the students, but

104maybe even to the staff. Okay. So, so it we we I just I over the years I wanted clarity that said let's really define what that means. Okay? Because efficiency does not necessarily mean or spending less does not necessarily mean you're highly efficient. >> Okay? It could mean that you're very lean and going without. And when we go without our students go without. And we took a lot of effort in the last five years to make up on that. Okay? If we want to know what's at risk because of this forecast, it's that box in the middle and all these performance indicators around the outside. Okay, that's at risk. Okay, that's our kids to do that. So, that's not a traditional explanation of the forecast. Um, but it is what what's changed from October to

105today. It's what's changed because of some of pieces of legislation that yes gave money back to taxpayers. We're not we're not saying we're that's a good thing. Okay. But we do believe that that probably should have made the make whole of that should be made up going forward from the state if the rules of the game are being changed on us. Okay. So that's where we're at. So any questions on that before we move to the action item? again as I as a as sometimes as I ramble through it, I don't know if I confused you, made you afraid to ask the questions till later, but um you know there's there was a lot of effort put into it. I do appreciate the fact that um the finance committee um Mr. Patton, Mrs. Spencer kind

106of sat through that and [clears throat] looked at that looked at all of this presentation before we went into it. As I say, I guess the only comment that I'll make is that obviously we're not making comments or asking questions because this is all we've been digesting. This is the information that we've been getting. We've had finance meetings. We've had uh meetings with the his team. So, this is this has been our world. Like, this is what's causing me to lose sleep at night. Um, and so, you know, just keep in mind again, I only speak for myself, but when we step here and I'm not asking questions, it's because I've been asking questions and I've been digesting this. So this is this is this is just something that's definitely heavy on my heart as

107we move forward. And again for the highlight that I'll put is is that it it's of no fault of our district. We it's of no fault of our district. Um so >> and we did we actually started in depth with at the retreat. We went over kind of a similar >> the numbers might not have been as great but they were pretty similar. >> Yeah. >> To where we want >> to do that. So the the um the action item is on the financial forecast uh to re recommendation to approve the financial forecast as presented which includes the forecast the notes um and the presentation. >> Thank you Mr. Romano. You've heard [clears throat] the recommendation. Would someone like to make a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you Mr. Rudy. Is there a second?

108>> Second. Thank you Mr. Chunley. Is there any discussion? Okay. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Mr. Rudy, >> yes. >> Mr. Chumley, >> yes. >> Mr. Patton, >> yes. >> Miss Samborg, >> yes. >> Mrs. Spencer, >> yes. >> Five, yes. >> Thank you. >> And for my comments is I think I've said enough. So, [laughter] continue on. Thank you. >> Thank you. Moving on is board comments. I'll start with Mr. Rudy. >> None. >> Thank you, >> Miss Spencer. Okay. Well, I do just kind of piggyback off the the um financial committee meeting that we did have last week. I appreciate the opportunity to better understand the future of the West Claremont local school district and the challenges ahead. Unfortunately, in their zeal to provide property tax relief to homeowners, lawmakers inadvertently caused our

109district to lose a significant amount of funding. While the intent may have been to help residents, the unintended consequences has created financial strain for our schools. The board along with our community will continue to work together to navigate the challenges ahead and ensure a strong future for the West Claremont local school district. We also had an educational meeting right before this meeting and we did discuss the importance of continuing to prepare students for everything, not just one specific path, but for a full range of opportunities and challenges that they may face in the future. >> Thank you, Miss Amble. >> Um, I appreciate the administrators that gave me thank you notes for being a board member. I put them in a scrapbook to keep. I look at them at least twice a week to remind

110me of why I'm on the board. It really makes me feel special. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Ch. >> Hope our kids had a good day off. Mine drove me crazy today. Uh like Tammy said, we had a education committee meeting um today. Um, we learned about how we're implementing uh leadering me and using um the seven habits of highly effective people with our staff, but also imple implementing that into our children and it's great to see kind of how that's evolving. Um, and you guys will be hearing more more about that uh in the coming months. So, um it's good to get a little sneak preview of what you guys will be hearing and um it's a lot of it's a lot of great information and it's very encouraging. So, um I want

111to thank the team for that. Um, and to piggy back off that, although Dan likes to bring the, uh, doom and gloom, um, as he regularly does, um, I will continue to adamantly state that we have the best team uh, in the state. So, um, no matter what challenges or hurdles that are placed in front of us, I have no doubt, um, that we're going to find a way to not only just cross them, but succeed through it. So, um, I'm again encouraged and I just love the team that we have and what we've done so far and look forward to what we're going to do even through even through crap like this. So, >> thank you, Mr. Assembly. Uh, first and foremost, because I keep forgetting to do this at each one, our next

112board meeting, before I forget, because it's also a change of location, our next board meeting will be March 9th, 2026 and at 7 p.m. It will actually be at WT Elementary. So, we uh WT will be hosting us at our next board meeting. So, again, March 9th, 2026 at 7 PM at WT Elementary. So again, I just want to emphasize that um I had originally um decided, but I feel like I've talked enough this particular meeting. One of the things I do want to highlight um which I was going to plan on reading some of it, perhaps next time I will. Um one of the things that we have done probably about two years ago [clears throat] spearheaded by Miss Spencer is is that she wanted us to get a handbook. So there's a there's

113a board handbook that we as board members um it's kind of like our our guiding light. This is what we do. This is kind of what we follow. This kind of helps us keep us in our role. There's many of things that that I thought I knew about being a board member that when I became a board member, I quickly realized I knew nothing about being a board member. And so, uh, this was this was definitely helpful. Um, and so, you know, one of the things that again, I was planning on reading a couple of pages or paragraphs, but I decided to keep about it. But one of the important pieces that I've already kind of emphasized tonight is is that I individually on the street am Ryan Patton. I am not Ryan Patton, a

114board member. I do not make any decisions. I do not have any opin I have opinions, but I do not make any decisions when I'm out there, when I'm at the community, when I'm at a basketball game, when I'm at a a you know a play, if I'm coming to your schools. I I make no decision. I have no authority. It's not until we are here at this at this stage or at this moment where the five of us are here and something is presented to us that then we have a decision or we make a have a deciding factor. The other piece of this is is that obviously I've been in the community for for many years. I've I've worked in the district for many years. So I have lots of friendships that I

115have built over the years of being in the district. But what has to be important is is that I cannot base my decision based off of my sole friend or based off of decisions that I hear or input I hear from a sole person. I have to look at the totality of our district. I have to look at what's good for not only Merlin, but what good for Holly Hill, what's good for the middle school. I have to look at everything. And sometimes that's very tough. Um, you know, Chuck actually asked me a question when I got became a board. I'm working on my second my second term. But he asked me if this what I thought it was going to be when I got on and I'll tell you it was not. I I

116had not a clue what I was going to be doing here. And I've quickly bumped my head many many times. Michael helped me along the way um telling me I bumped my head. And so I I just simply say and I simply remind I I will encourage my other fellow board members to make sure that we we had this created to make sure that we we take a look at this and that we we kind of use this as our beacon our star here that we follow to make sure that we're following within it. And again I love to hear from the community but when I'm out at the grocery store I'm just Ryan Patton. I'm not Ryan Patton a board member. I'll listen. I'll take things into into consideration but I I have to

117take everything into consideration. I have to take things that Dan knows that he's telling me. I have to take things that Dr. Folultz is saying, "Hey, I need more of this, but I need less of this. I have to take all of those things." So, I I apologize I've rambled. Uh, this has been a kind of a passionate night, but I just want to make sure that I clarify that I I do hear everybody. I listen to everybody. I listened to everybody. I hear everybody talk, but I have to take the whole totality of the circumstance when I make a decision. I take this rule very very seriously. And so I just have to make sure I take the the whole totality of the circumstance. I've closed my laptop. Obviously, you can see how passion

118I got because I wasn't done to close it just yet. So, I am done rambling. Again, emphasize our meeting is March 9th at 7 p.m. at WT. I look forward to them hosting. Um, at this point, we do not go into executive session, but at this point, uh, to to kind of spearhead this handbook that we have created or that was created for us, we're going to actually move into like a board retreat. Um, it's not going to be streamed. Uh, it is open to the public. You're more than welcome to stick around. I think we're going to move downstairs. >> Riverview room. All the other rooms are booked. >> Okay. The river room, but this is just going to give us a time to kind of do a little self-reflecting on us how we're

119doing as board members. You're more than welcome to I don't know if everybody will fit into that room, but we [laughter] can we can have a standing audience. But we are going to move from that. There will be no decisions made. There will be no voting taking place. Uh, nothing else will be taking place. >> Is there an opportunity for us to take a break between that meeting and this meeting? >> Absolutely. I would love a break. Okay. So, so have I rambled enough? Have I covered everything? There's no votes. Do we need to make any other motion? Are we making a a vote to go into this? >> You just need to make a statement about taking a break when you when you're coming back. >> Okay. Well, we are going to take a

120break. >> 10 minutes. We'll be back in 10 minutes. Thank you.